The Festival
by lilacbird
Summary: Come on Kiba!" Said Naruto, angered by Kiba's quickness to give up. "You could at least TRY." The truth was, Kiba had tried. Oh, how he had tried. He'd been trying for the past five years. KibaHina, implied NaruSaku


Ok

**Ok! Lets see if this works! I'm not really expecting my computer to process this story through, so if you are reading this, its truly a miracle!**

**This is a KibaxHinata fic, with hinted NarutoxSakura. Its not very good, cuz its just a practice, so I advise you not to read it.**

"Hey guys, guess what?!" Cried Naruto, dashing up to his friends, a cloud of dust billowing out behind him.

"We give up." Said Shikamaru bluntly on behalf of the other chuunins.

"Sakura-chan finally accepted my invitation to the Cherry Blossom festival!" Naruto declared, hugging himself with glee, real tears of joy in his eyes.

"This makes all those years of rejection worthwhile!" He sobbed. Then he leaned in closer to his friend and whispered "She says it's only as friends, but I know it's a date!"

Then he leapt into the air, pumping his fists and cheering.

"You hear that, world? I'VE GOT A DATE WITH HARUNO SAKURA!"

His friends looked at each other anxiously; cue sweatdrop.

"Well, we're, uh, very happy for you." Said Shikamaru, making his disinterest obvious.

"Yeah, nice one Naruto!" Said Kiba, far more enthusiastically. For some reason he sounded a little relieved.

"Thanks! So, Shikamaru, are you going with Ino or Temari?" Naruto asked. "Must be nice to have girls fight over you, huh?" He added, rather jealously.

Shikamaru folded his arms.

"Neither. These festivities are too much work for me to take an interest in them." He grunted.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Shikamaru was always… troublesome.

"Honestly, some people don't realize their luck…" He muttered moodily.

"So what about the rest of you?" Naruto's question was answered with blank looks.

"You mean NONE of you have dates?!" He cried incredulously, a smirk plastered across his face. "Shino? Choji?"

The two shook their heads.

"Kiba! SURELY you asked Hinata?" He said confidently.

"Um…" Kiba lowered his gaze. "Asked her what?"

"Asked her to go to the festival with you, stupid!"

"Um… Uh… Why would I ask her that?" He mumbled.

Naruto looked at Kiba as if he had sprouted an extra head.

"Uhh, because you love her." He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kiba's eyes widened. His cheeks began to burn. He didn't look at his friends, but he knew they were staring at him. He hated it.

"How long have you known?" He mumbled, his eyes never leaving the floor.

Naruto shrugged, unaware he had hit a nerve.

"Since about forever." He said.

Kiba shut his eyes tight and inhaled sharply.

"Okay."

He opened on eye a crack and dared to look up.

"All of you?"

His friends all nodded simultaneously. Kiba released the breath he took as a long sigh. Was he really that transparent?

"So, now that it's all out in the open, are you gonna ask her, or what?" Said Naruto, perky as ever.

Kiba shook his head.

"I can't." He said truthfully.

" C'mon, Kiba!" Said Naruto, angered by Kiba's quickness to give up. "You could at least TRY!"

The truth was, Kiba had tried. Oh, how he had tried. He had been trying for the past five years. He would argue with himself, psyche himself up, revise EXACTLY what he should say, only to fall at the last hurdle.

He had never come even close to asking Hinata.

He could blame it all on bad luck, that the 'right moment' that never presented itself, but really Kiba supposed he was just a coward. Too afraid of the pain he would have to endure were he rejected.

So every year, as the happy couples would make their way to the village centre for the festival, Kiba would watch from his bedroom window, cast down by his own cowardice, feeling worse than ever.

Of course, the festival wasn't specially reserved for couples, but he was always too ashamed of himself to show his face there.

"If you don't ask her, you know what you're in for!" Said Naruto, grinning devilishly.

Kiba folded his arms and stuck his chin in the air stubbornly.

"Do what you like, I don't care." He lied.

Naruto smiled, obviously the response he'd been hoping for.

"Ok, then!" He took a deep breath. "KIBA AND HINATA SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-arhh!"

Kiba pounced on Naruto, desperately trying to cover his mouth to stop him reciting the childish rhyme.

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" He screamed furiously, cheeks flaming.

"Ha ha!" Naruto taunted, pinned to the ground. He prodded Kiba's scarlet cheek. "You've gone bright red. Hey, are you blushing? Hahahahaha!"

"No!" Kiba denied, though Naruto's comment was, if anything, making him blush more.

Naruto snorted, ignoring Kiba's feeble attempt of a lie. "It's not often you get embarrassed. Hey, are you sure you're the real Kiba? Helloooo, Kiba, are you in there?" He sang, knocking his fist on Kiba's head.

Kiba clenched his fists. "You're pretty egotistic for someone pinned to the ground!" He snarled threateningly.

"I'm serious." Said Naruto, easily flipping Kiba off him, then getting up and dusting himself off. "You're not acting like yourself at all. What's got into you?"

Kiba quickly scrambled to his feet, angry that Naruto had gotten the better of him so easily.

"What do you mean?" He asked suspiciously.

"What I mean is…"

"It's not really that big a mystery."

At once all heads swivelled in the direction of the voice. It wasn't often Shino joined in the conversation- this was the first time he'd spoken since the start of the topic- and when he did it usually meant he had something important to say.

"When you're always around someone, it's natural that you would catch a few of their habits." Shino said. "Such as…"

He pointed to Kiba's face, which turned red again.

"And…"

He pointed to Kiba's hands, whose forefingers had uncurled themselves and were nervously tapping against each other.

"Gyahh! I didn't even realize I was doing that!" Kiba cried, horrified. He hurriedly stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Plus Kiba's never had a girlfriend, and he's never had any real experience with women before." Shino went on. "So it's natural he would be uncomfortable about the situation."

"W-wait!" Objected Kiba, determined to find a flaw in Shino's theory. "You said friends catch habits from each other, right?"

"Yes. Sakura became more outgoing after being with Naruto for so long. And Hinata's even gotten a little more confidence, albeit not much…"

"Then how come YOU haven't changed?" Kiba asked accusingly.

"Hm." Muttered Shino, unimpressed. "Perhaps I just have a stronger character than you."

"That was harsh…"

"Ok, this psychic…"

"Psychology"

"Is really cool and stuff, but right now, we gotta work out how to help Kiba!" Declared Naruto, pumping his fists in the air enthusiastically.

"Great." Said Choji, looking up from his bag of crisps. "But you'll have to catch him first."

The other trainee ninjas turned to find nothing left of Kiba but a cloud of dust trailing down the street.

"Arrh! No! NOOO! Let me gooo!"

Hinata stopped in her tracks. That was Kiba screaming!

"Leave me alone, dammit! Get off me!"

"For God's sake Kiba, stop struggling!!"

"You're only making it harder for yourself!"

"Noooo! You can't make me goooo!"

"Will someone PLEASE shut him up?"

"Shut up, Kiba!"

"NO! HELP! HELLLLP!"

_Oh dear._ Thought Hinata. _I wonder if he needs help?_

"Hinata! There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Hinata's face lit up.

_That's Naruto-kun's voice!_

Naruto hurtled around the corner, followed by Choji, Shikamaru and Shino, who seemed to be dragging some odd animal along the ground with a rope. Wait, that wasn't some odd animal! That was Kiba!

_Oh dear! I wonder what they're up to?_

"For God's sake untie me!" Kiba yelled, his fingers carving trails along the ground as he tried to get away.

"Hi, Hinata!" Beamed Naruto, bounding up to her.

"Oh, he-hello, Naruto." Said Hinata, smiling shyly and blushing.

"I got a surprise for you!"

_A surprise…? Wait… he's not going to… ask me to go to the festival with him is he? Surely not…?_

"Here!" Said Naruto triumphantly, as the chuunins dumped a shouting struggling Kiba at her feet.

"Uhh…" Began Hinata, not quite sure what to make of the unusual 'gift'.

Shikamaru expertly untied the ropes which bound Kiba.

"He's got something to ask you." He said.

Kiba, unaware of the location and lack of ropes, continued screaming, curled up in a ball on the dusty ground.

"You can't make me ask her! You can't make me! You can't make me!"

The boys looked at each other, in that 'are you going to tell him, or am I?' way.

Eventually it was Naruto who spoke up.

"Uh… Kiba…"

"Damn you, Naruto!" Cried Kiba, leaping to his knees. "You no-good, low-down little…"

Kiba froze. If he could've curled up and died at that moment, he would've. Oh, why, why, WHY? Why did the Gods hate him so?

"Ah… hahah… hi, Hinata." Damn, this wasn't good. His throat was too dry, he couldn't talk properly.

"Er, hello, Kiba." Said Hinata unsurely. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

Oh no! Why did Naruto have to be the one to greet her? She probably thought HE was going to ask her to go with him! Great! Now he would probably disappoint her as well as embarrass her!

Kiba scrambled to his feet.

"I, uh…"

"Yes?" Hinata queried innocently. She really had no idea?

"I…" Kiba had never gotten this far before, so he didn't know where to go next.

On one hand, he could chicken out, like he had done so may times before. Life would continue as normal… and Kiba would spend the rest of the year kicking himself because he didn't seize his chance.

On the other, he could ask her. She could say no, and he would be crushed. Or, she could say yes and… Strange, Kiba had never contemplated the possibility of getting a 'yes'.

_What if she said YES?_

Kiba had always thought Hinata was out of his league. She was a prestigious pureblood, heir to the Hyuga name, and a huge fortune. He was a simple working class, with not a penny to his name.

And she was in love with Naruto, wasn't she?

But… what if she did say yes? That would be… oh man, that would just be…

_Wonderful, amazing, brilliant, unbelievable, astounding, excellent, astonishing, fantastic, terrific…_

Perhaps he was getting a little carried away.

'Go for it, idiot!' One half of him shouted. 'You might never get this chance again!'

'You'll embarrass her. She'll say no, and you'll be devastated.' Said the other half.

'What if she says yes?'

'She won't.'

'How do you know?'

'I know.'

'Do not!'

'Do too.'

'Do not!'

'Do too!'

"Will you two shut up in there!" Kiba shouted, holding his head in his hands.

Oh, rats, why'd he have to say that?? Now she'd think he was a complete nutcase!

"Kiba, are you feeling ok?" Asked Hinata. She sounded concerned.

"Y-yeah! I-I-I-I'm fine, Hinata-chan…" Uh-oh. "I-I-I-I-I mean Hinata! J-j-just Hinata! I-I-I d-didn't… I mean I… ohhh…" He gave up and hid his face in his hands.

His friends looked at each other. Boy, when he'd said he couldn't, he'd really meant it. He was cracking under the pressure. He definitely needed some help now.

"He wants to know if you would go to the Cherry Blossom Festival with him." Said Shikamaru helpfully.

"GYAAAHH! NOOOO!" Kiba shouted. "Shikamaru, how could you?!"

He fell to his knees.

"Now she'll reject me and it's all your fault!" He wailed in despair.

Poor Hinata, who had been momentarily stunned into silence by the whole ordeal, was rather confused. Why was Kiba acting so strangely? He was acting like the world was coming to an end.

"Um, I'll go…" She said, still very puzzled.

Kiba stared up at her. It's a good thing he was already on the ground, because his legs had just turned to jelly.

"EH? YOU'RE FOR REAL?!" He cried, eyes wide.

"Yes…" Said Hinata, blushing because all attention was on her. Why wouldn't she go with him? They were friends, weren't they?

"Great." Said Shikamaru. "What time?"

"Um, one?" Kiba told him.

"Is one ok?" Shikamaru asked Hinata.

Hinata nodded.

"Will you he meet me there or…"

"What place?" Shikamaru interrupted.

"I'll go to her house, I mean, if that's ok…" Said Kiba to Shikamaru.

"Your house?"

"Th-that's fine…"

Shikamaru turned back to Kiba.

"That's fine."

"Well…" Said Hinata. She looked at the boys, still thoroughly puzzled. "I'll… I'll see you there then… Bye."

And so she left, leaving four satisfied ninjas and one stupefied Kiba behind her.

Kiba couldn't stop grinning. The festival was amazing. And Hinata… she was… Kiba only had to look at her and his stomach would flip. He knew she was kind and intelligent, but who knew she could be funny too? Kiba had always thought she was too shy for that. But she was different out of training. She seemed so happy, so at ease, so, dare he say it, confident. It was so nice just to be near her that he didn't even mind about the butterflies flapping inside.

"Thanks for today, Kiba. I had fun." Said Hinata, giving him that smile that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Ahahaha… That's ok, Hinata…" Kiba grinned, scratching the back of his neck.

_Ah, man, she's so pretty and kind and clever and great and beautiful and nice and cute and amazing and beautiful and caring and beautiful and…_

_Ok, Kiba, stop that now!_

"You know, we should do this more often." Hinata said.

"Do what?" Kiba asked.

"See each other out of ninja duties." She said, her cheeks light pink.

Kiba's mouth dropped open.

"You mean it?"

"Well, yes… if you don't want to that's fine…"

"No! No, I do want to!" Kiba said quickly before she could change her mind. Then he added "If that's ok with you, I mean." in case he sounded too forward.

"I'd like that." Hinata beamed and tilted her head to one side. Suddenly, to Kiba, she looked stunningly radiant, like some unearthly being. Like something holy. An angel.

"Yeah." He managed to whisper.

"Well, goodnight!" Hinata gave a small wave before turning and entering her house.

Ah, Kiba, you fool, she was probably just being polite when she said…

"Is Thursday ok?"

"Eh?"

Through the crack between the wall and her door, Hinata's face fell.

"I thought you wanted to…"

"Oh, I do! I do!" Said Kiba quickly. "Yeah, Thursday! Thursday is… is good."

Hinata blushed and nodded.

"See you, then."

And the door closed behind her.

…

"YEEEEESSSS!! AHAHAHAHAAA!! WOOHOO!!"

"Woof!" Akamaru jumped up at his master as soon as he stepped through the door. He was barking frantically.

"Ok, all right, one question at a time!" Exclaimed Kiba. "It went great, if you must know."

Akamaru gave a few low grunts, which almost made him sound like he was laughing.

"It's good to know you have so much confidence in me." Said Kiba sarcastiacally, rolling his eyes.

Akamaru barked.

"Well, I'm seeing her again next Thursday." Said Kiba proudly, secretly delighted he had scored another sort-of date with Hinata.

"Woof?"

"Well… Not really. You know she doesn't think of me like that." Kiba admitted, rather reluctantly.

Akamaru bumped the floor with his nose, letting out a low grizzle.

_Still…_

"Still what?" Kiba asked

_This could be the start of something…_

**Well, that stunk worse than spoiled gumbo. Ah, well, you were warned, and it's just a practice, so I didn't want to waste too much effort on something that might go to waste.**

**Sorry if you think Hinata is ooc, but I had this idea of her being more confident around Kiba, since he's one of her closest friends.**

**I have a good idea for a really long drama/romance KibaxHinata fic, but I wanted to wait for some feedback on my other work before I write it.**

**The Cherry Blossom Festival is a festival held in Japan to celebrate the coming of spring and the cherry blossoms. I don't think its usually a couples thing, but something about all those blossoms just sounded romantic.**

**Crisps Chips for all you Americans! (Or Canadians, or anyone who says 'chips')**

**Thanks for reading!**


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